Marilynn Webb

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Marilynn Webb
ONZM
Born(1937-09-11)11 September 1937
Auckland, New Zealand
Died16 August 2021(2021-08-16) (aged 83)
Dunedin, New Zealand
Known forPainting, printmaking
ChildrenBen Webb
Awards

Marilynn Lois Webb

Dunedin School of Art, and was made an emeritus
principal lecturer in 2004.

Webb's art was inspired by land issues, activism and environmentalism, including notably in the 1970s work that criticised the New Zealand government's

Stewart Island / Rakiura
.

Early life and career

Webb was born on 11 September 1937 in

Ngā Puhi and Te Roroa) and European descent.[4][5]

Webb was the direct descendant of Moe Ngaherehere, the 47th signatory of the

Opotiki District High School.[3] She attended Ardmore Teachers' College in Ardmore from 1955 to 1956, and during this time her mother died.[3][7] In 1957 she attended Dunedin Teachers' College, and had her first art show at a coffee bar called Stewart's.[3][7]

After her teacher training, Webb trained as an arts advisor under a scheme run by Arthur Gordon Tovey which had the goal of introducing Māori art into New Zealand education.[8] In this role she worked for the Department of Education in Auckland and Northland and for the Northern Māori Project from 1958 to 1962, with the goal of promoting contemporary Māori art.[9][10][11] The role included running arts courses for local teachers in city and country schools.[7] In the 1960s Webb travelled widely, including to Spain, England, North Africa and Alice Springs in Australia.[3] She also ran teacher training courses in Suva, Fiji.[3]

During her time as an arts advisor, Webb developed her printmaking work and became one of New Zealand's leading artistic printmakers.[9][10] Her work included autographic prints, intaglio printing and monotyping.[8][3] In 1974 she began the development of her pastel work at the University of Otago, having been awarded the Frances Hodgkins Fellowship.[2] It was at this time that her interest in conservation and the environment developed.[7]

Artworks and art education

Webb's love of the New Zealand

Tamatea / Dusky Sound ecology.[16] She has undertaken a number of other projects with the Department of Conservation during her career.[17]

Webb exhibited prolifically and was involved in over 180 exhibitions and over 35 curated exhibitions/symposiums,

Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa,[25] Norwegian Contemporary Graphic Museum, and the US Library of Congress.[2]

Together with arts educator Bridie Lonie, she co-authored Marilynn Webb: Prints and Pastels (2003).[11][26] Lonie said in 2004 that Webb "works to remind people of the importance of the landscapes of the heart, to record places which will not remain the same for long, and to create images which hold local histories in a way which is accepted by those communities".[11]

In addition to her own artistic career, Webb taught art for over thirty years in Dunedin in high schools and at tertiary level. From 1988, she lectured in printmaking at the Otago Polytechnic School of Art and in 2004 was made an emeritus principal lecturer at the school.[9] She served as a member of the National Education Monitoring Project for the Ministry of Education, the university's Educational Assessment Research Unit, and was a governor of the Arts Foundation of New Zealand.[2]

In August 2021, shortly before Webb's death, the Green Party moved a portrait of Winston Churchill outside their office at Parliament House in order to replace it with a new piece by Webb, which had been purchased by Parliament's art committee. In response to criticisms by Judith Collins, leader of the National Party, Elizabeth Kerekere said the Churchill portrait would remain on display elsewhere, and that the Green Party were "really excited about displaying artwork by Marilynn Webb outside the Green Party office and the hallway to the Speaker's Gallery".[27]

Honours and awards

In 2000, Webb was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2000 New Year Honours, for services to art and art education.[28] In 2010, the University of Otago awarded her an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.[2] The University vice-chancellor, David Skegg, described Webb as "one of New Zealand's most distinguished and influential artists", and noted that in addition to her impressive artworks, she "has been at the forefront of art education in New Zealand for half a century".[2]

In 2011, she was awarded Nga Tohu a Ta Kingi Ihaka for her lifetime of achievement in art and leadership as a Māori artist at the Te Waka Toi Awards presented by Creative New Zealand.[29][30]

In 2018, she was awarded Te Tohu Aroha mō Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the Supreme Award for excellence and achievement in Ngā Toi Māori (Māori art), at the Te Waka Toi Awards.[4][31]

Personal life

Webb's son, Ben Webb, was also an artist.[32]

Webb died on 16 August 2021, aged 83.[33]

References

  1. ^ "Webb, Marilynn Lois". Find New Zealand Artists. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Otago honours leading artist Marilynn Webb". University of Otago. 19 May 2010. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018.
  3. ^ .
  4. ^
    ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original
    on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  5. ^ "Marilynn WEBB Obituary". The Dominion Post. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 3 October 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Marilynn Webb". Auckland Art Gallery. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  7. ^ a b c d McLean, Robyn (9 July 2004). "Drawing on southern landscapes". Dominion Post. p. B11.
  8. ^ a b c "Marilyn Webb, Works from the Collection: 2 March 2018 – 8 July 2018". Dunedin Public Art Gallery. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Prints and Pastels: Bridie Lonie & Marilynn Webb". Otago University Press. University of Otago. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Marilynn Webb". Gallery De Novo. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d Moore, Christopher (14 January 2004). "Natural layers". The Press. p. C3.
  12. ^ "Marilynn Webb: Taste Before Eating". Dowse Art Museum. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  13. ^ Phillips, Margaret (22 March 2018). "Webb named patron of Gore art gallery". The Ensign. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  14. ^ Gerken, Sonia (13 February 2004). "Artist picks Gore launch". The Southland Times. p. 11.
  15. ^ "Touch of Stewart Island comes to Nelson". The Press. 9 July 2002. p. A4.
  16. ^ "Tamatea - Art and Conservation in Dusky Sound". Southland Museum. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  17. ^ a b "Marilynn Webb". Ocula. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  18. ^ "Artists exhibited with New Zealand Academy of Fine Arts". findnzartists.org.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  19. .
  20. ^ "The Group 1970". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  21. ^ "The Group 1974". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  22. ^ "The Group 1975". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  23. ^ "The Group 1976". christchurchartgallery.org.nz. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  24. ^ "The Group 1927 - 1977: an annotated bibliography - Heritage - Christchurch City Libraries". christchurchcitylibraries.com. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  25. ^ "Marilynn Webb". Te Papa. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  26. .
  27. ^ Coughlan, Thomas (11 August 2021). "'Do they want Stalin up there?' Judith Collins lashes out at Greens for ditching Churchill". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 August 2021.
  28. ^ "New Year Honours List 2000". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  29. ^ Benson, Nigel (8 September 2011). "Print maker celebrated with award". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  30. ^ Marilynn Webb - Te Waka Toi Awards 2018 (Video). New Zealand: Creative New Zealand. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  31. ^ "Te Waka Toi Awards celebrate and recognise excellence and achievement in Māori art". Creative NZ. 17 November 2018. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  32. ^ Benson, Nigel (26 February 2009). "Prince of dark arts". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  33. ^ "Dunedin artist Marilynn Webb dies". Otago Daily Times. 18 August 2021. Retrieved 22 August 2021.

Further reading

Artist files for Marilynn Webb are held at:

Also see: